Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to building-information modeling (BIM) and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems and methods for modeling, visualizing, analyzing, and interacting with digital models of buildings and building products.
History of Related Art
Building information modeling (BIM) is generally a process of generating and managing building data for a building such as, for example, an office tower. BIM may include use of three-dimensional modeling software that takes into account, for example, building geometry, spatial relationships, and quantities and specification properties of various building components. BIM may involve modeling, for example, product norms of the various building components. The product norms may be extracted, for example, from specifications.
One advantage of BIM is that it typically results in increased information sharing among architects, engineers, contractors, and customers. Consequently, BIM encourages more frequent and more effective interaction among stakeholders in a building-construction process. As BIM becomes more prevalent, architects, engineers, contractors, and customers increasingly desire more robust BIM solutions that enable, for example, real-time, accurate modeling and the potential to develop analytical insights about the performance of a building before building construction begins.
Particular difficulties are associated with modeling, for example, a building envelope. The building envelope typically includes, for example, a foundation, roof, walls, doors, and windows. From both aesthetic and engineering standpoints, the efficacy of the building envelope varies greatly based on, for example, building site, geography, weather, and other factors. Product norms are therefore often inaccurate and insufficient bases for modeling a building envelope.